F22 Raptor The World's Most Advanced Fighter

Lets take a look at the world’s most advanced fighter - the F22 Raptor, a documentary.
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Overview
Widely considered the best air superiority fighter in the world, the Lockheed Martin F-22 is a fifth generation, twin engine, single seat, all weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft. Developed from decades of air combat experience the F-22 excels in its one true mission: to defeat any air adversary it encounters. This is accomplished by the Raptor’s incredible performance, advanced avionics, and stealth profile. Notable features include twin tails, a trapezoidal wing, and a golden canopy which is coated with a thin layer of Indium Tin Oxide or ITO which acts like an EM shield to maintain stealth characteristics.
Having been deployed since 2005, let’s take a look at some specifications for the F-22 Raptor:
Specifications
Length: 62 ft 1 in (18.92 m)
Height: 16 ft 8 in (5.08 m)
Wingspan: 44 ft 6 in (13.56 m)
Maximum speed: Mach 2.25 (1,500 mph, 2,414 km/h)
Mach 1.21, 800 knots (921 mph; 1,482 km/h) at sea level
Mach 1.82 (1,220 mph, 1,963 km/h) supercruise at altitude
Empty weight: 43,340 lb (19,700 kg)
Max. takeoff weight:: 83,500 lb (38,000 kg)
RANGE: 1,600 nmi (1,800 mi, 3,000 km) or more with 2 external fuel tanks
Engine Thrust Class
F119-PW-100 augmented turbofans, 26,000 lbf (116 kN) thrust each dry, 35,000 lbf (156 kN) with afterburner
thrust dry,
with afterburner
Thrust to weight ratio: 1.25 with loaded weight and 50% internal fuel
Credits/Attributions:
"The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.”
Special thanks to Lockheed Martin for providing excellent footage to help me make this video.
www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/...
MG-29 Photo:
Vitaly V. Kuzmin / CC BY-SA (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
SU-27 Photo:
Dmitriy Pichugin [GFDL 1.2 (www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licen...) or GFDL 1.2 (www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licen...)]
F22 Radar:
Daderot / CC0
Music from filmmusic.io "Hiding Your Reality" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) License: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/b...)
This video is an opinion editorial commentary.
Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for fair use purposes such as criticism, commentary, parody, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.
All works used in this video (Images, audio etc) belong to their respective authors
(This does not include the audio commentary).

[@bdh985]

Didn't build nearly enough F-22's for a number of reasons. Makes me sick to think about. Great video as always! Yes on the YF-23 vid

[@PilotPhotog]

Agreed and will start working on YF-23 vid. Thanks for commenting!

[@johanfeenstra8778]

We are forgetting the WW2 lessons. Quality and Quantity. We had more Shermans than the Germans had tiger tanks, etc etc. The F22 is a amazing airplane but way way too expensive. And the problem for that is... no oversite of the pentagon and less and less manufacturing companies (compettition). And politics is corrupted with all the lobbyists roaming the halls of congress. Greetings from the Netherlands.

[@lucifermorningstar4548]

Johan Feenstra well as a Lockheed Martin employee (at Marietta) I can honestly say us production employees are doing what we can to keep costs in line. We are highly skilled workers and are paid as such. You get what you pay for.

[@johanfeenstra8778]

@@lucifermorningstar4548 Employees are not the problem, they deserve a good pay.

[@lucifermorningstar4548]

Johan Feenstra oh believe me, this place is top heavy (lots of management) but it is what it is.

[@thesirmaddog8209]

A video on the YF-23 would be liked

[@PilotPhotog]

Thank you and working on just that.

[@shashanktangwan6104]

I second that.👍👍

[@doncalypso]

@@PilotPhotog excellent!!!!

[@wayneyd2]

Show how the YF-23 was screw over by the USAF.

[@AvArIeNmArKu4]

@@PilotPhotog if its under 30mins i will dislike it xD and unsubscribe

[@justme3894]

YES.....Please, a video on the YF 23.....

[@PilotPhotog]

Thank you and working on it!

[@herbertkeithmiller]

There's one big problem with the F22 . . . We don't have enough of them!

[@PilotPhotog]

Agreed and thanks for commenting!

[@denniscrider3776]

The F22 has several problems. 1) Cost 2) Spends more time in maintenance than it does in combat status 3) Enough said

[@cnlbenmc]

I think a bigger problem is it's old wierd 1990s computers and strange proprietary computer code that are a bitch to work with, so much so that I think Helmet Mounted Displays still aren't compatible with it. The idea probably was to in the future simply pull the computers from the modular avionics bays to replace them with entirely new ones but it would have been so expensive that it hasn't gotten funding to do so till very recently.

[@presidentbanana4536]

@@cnlbenmc I'm curious, why would putting in new computers be so expensive? I imagine you wouldn't need anything terribly powerful, and updating the software for it wouldn't be very expensive either, at least by US military standards.

[@myusername3689]

@@denniscrider3776 Soooooo just cost.......

[@ExUSSailor]

Hard to believe this aircraft is over 20 years old now.

[@swaghauler8334]

I think they should "upsize" the F-23 Blackwidow about 20% and call it a long-range Interceptor. The F23's reduced maneuverability versus the F22 is a non-issue with an Interceptor but the increased range and stealth of an enlarged F23 would fill a "capability gap" in our air envelope that would allow a "stand-off attack" for carriers AND US airbases abroad. The imagined F23 SHOULD be redesigned for both CAP and Strike missions and be Carrier deployable.

[@PilotPhotog]

I like this idea, thanks for commenting!

[@rapidsqualor5367]

I wish yf-23.net was still up. I heard somewhere that the hardened hangers in Europe can hold a maximum of 75' aircraft so the "upsize" should probably be limited to that length. People may hate the F-35 airframe but the plane has some great parts. If they could redesign for parts commonality with F-35 and two of the latest version GE F136 engines, well, it could make a good escort for a B21. The problem would be doing all that and keeping what made the YF-23 great. I read that the YF-23 conformed to the Area-Rule more than any other plane while also being very stealthy.

[@wreksangel]

Great thoughts, and definitely ideas that are on point. Agreed!

[@swaghauler8334]

@@rapidsqualor5367 I would widen the airframe just a bit and lengthen it slightly. The biggest area I could see expanding is to "fill in" the area between the engines over her "spine" right up to the bulge where the back of the cockpit rises up (just like designers are doing with the newer "conformal electronics" rigs that are being added to legacy aircraft). This shouldn't affect the F23's radar profile from ground tracking or the normal lower intercept angles (because the merging aircraft is climbing from takeoff to intercept the F23) too much. This "spinal bulge" would allow the "deepening" of the weapons bay to accommodate larger-diameter weapons like the newer anti-ship missiles, the new standoff cruise missiles, and more AMRAAMS. The slightly wider wings would accommodate more fuel. I would also like to retrofit a newer version of the airframe with the same low-profile removable hard-points that give the F35 its "beast mode" capability. As I recall, the early model pylons carried two AMRAAMS tucked up against the wing on either side of the pylon and an AIM9X on the bottom of the pylon. The pylons were much lower in profile than gen 4 aircraft pylons and I can see the drag being reduced compared to conventional pylons. I'd make the inboard ones "wet" for fuel tanks as well. With four pylons attached, the weapons payloads would increase by 8 AMRAAMs and 4 AIM9X Sidewinders for fleet defense or "missile truck" duties. Coupled with the F35's digital interface and sensor integration, this would be a great INTERCEPTOR to compliment both the shorter-ranged but more agile F22 flying CAP and the F35 flying CAS and "observer" for "missile trucks" (legacy 15's with quad missile rails in a standoff position).

[@ivanlagrossemoule]

It would be stupid, because the YF-23 was designed in the 90s and already had design problems back then, with the airframe not being as developed as the YF-22. The YF-23 isn't going to happen because it's a better idea to develop something new.

[@kevinhatcher3765]

You're videos are starting to show up in people's recommended sections now congrats!

[@PilotPhotog]

Glad to hear that and thanks for commenting!

[@lt.x-02s-wyvern25]

Looking at the F-22 should be the Air Force main superioty fighter, while YF-23 should have been along the lines of a fighter bomber to alleviate the lower numbers of B-2s

[@PilotPhotog]

That would have been awesome!

[@CorruptInfinityOfficial]

Too bad that’s just not it works at all, companies compete for DoD contracts through design competition to show who deserves the contract.

[@phased-arraych.9150]

I’m frustrated on how the USAF refuses to sign off on resuming F-22 production or invest in developing an upgraded variant.

[@PilotPhotog]

Agreed and thanks for commenting!

[@solarissv777]

Especially after Japan suggested to split the cost, if they were allowed to buy some.

[@W1ckedRcL]

It's because they're working on a 6th gen fighter to replace it.

[@Noisy_Cricket]

@@W1ckedRcL it's also because the F35's sensor and comm abilities already outclass the F22, and it's stealth coating is fragile and hard to maintain. If production were to be restarted, it would cost a ton to correct these problems AND restart production. So that's why the Air Force is just deciding to move on. The F22 is a fantastic aircraft, but it was made for a fight that doesn't exist today really. The reason the 4th gen fighters (save the Tomcat) have survived so long is because they are easy to produce and are pretty much perfect for the roles they are asked to play. Much like the fighter generations post WWII (where the Mustang was pretty much the perfect fighter), we're kinda in an era we're searching around for what we want out of a fighter aircraft.

[@lucifermorningstar4548]

Btw the last F-22 was delivered in 2012. I was standing 30 feet from it. Sad times 😞.

[@PilotPhotog]

That is sad to think the "newest" one is 8 years old - I really wished they had resumed production in 2016. Thanks for commenting

[@SvenTviking]

The stupidest thing Obama did.

[@SvenTviking]

Josh Mkensie Justify your statement.

[@lucifermorningstar4548]

Josh Mkensie I don’t get people like you, Obama isn’t the President, and you guys ranted and raved about the pre-Covid Trump economy. Looks to me like you need to try justifying Trump by putting down Obama. Don’t act like Trump is even close to perfect. I mean Fox News was talking like Ebola was going to destroy the USA and we had 2 people die. Why not just say you don’t like his skin color?

[@lucifermorningstar4548]

Josh Mkensie ok troll.

[@jimsheppard6726]

Great video, by the way. Well researched and well presented, as always. If you're still considering a vid on the YF-23, I'd be glad to see it

[@PilotPhotog]

Thank you and yes still working on the YF-23 video. Stay tuned!

[@lilhotdog7011]

The most beautiful aircraft in the world

[@cattledog901]

I love the F22 and it's an amazing plane, however I feel that the YF23 had alot more growth potential and would have fit in better with what the airforce considers will be future air combat. Larger munitions storage, more range, more stealth etc and would have also made an excellent fighter bomber.

[@PilotPhotog]

Agreed and thanks for commenting!

[@Rampant16]

YF23 does sound more similar to the USAF's requirements for the 6th gen Penetrating Counter Air of more range and weapons load.

[@cgirl111]

The only plane in America's arsenal that we wouldn't sell to allied nations.

[@L33tSkE3t]

Yeah, there is actually a law preventing it's sale and export to allied Nations. I think we should reconsider that. We could update the F-22s with F-35 Avionics software and Hardware and I know Japan has expressed great interest in the F-22 and recently increase it's F-35 orders to 147, making it the second largest foreign operator of the Type behind the UK.

[@wreksangel]

It's not the avionics that prevents sales to allies. It has to do with the F-22s groundbreaking, cutting edge radar. It hasba passive scan ability that allows it to detect other aircraft while remaining invisible itself. Thats not technology we want getting into the wrong hands, and some of our allies such as Israel, have done just that in the past. Thats why the 1998 "Obey amendment" was passed. Side note: the amendment was named for Congressman David Obey, Democrat from Wisconsin, 7th district.

[@L33tSkE3t]

@@wreksangel Yeah, I know. I never said the avionics is what prevented the exportation of F-22s to other countries, I even mentioned the law amended that prevents it's sale. I was just suggesting we should reconsider that for close allies like Japan. The F-35 has a similar passively scanning radar that implements similar technology to that of the F-22. What I meant by avionics was the F-35s updated computer systems and Pilot helmet mounted display system that allows for pilots to see through the aircraft with the integrated sensor suite.

[@appa609]

That's what doomed it

[@L33tSkE3t]

William Johnson Bill Clinton was president during the F-22s initial development, I don't see why who the President becomes would have anything to do with the modernization of the F22, especially if it's already underway.

[@dr.j5642]

Ah the F22, the envy of the world's skies. Not only is she a lethal threat to anything flying through the air, but she looks mean as heck to boot! These things will still be lethal even when 6th generation fighters start flying.

[@kristianxoto]

F-22 raptor is obsolete, even USAF knows that thats why they are planning to develop a new air superiority fighter, since F-35 is multirtole and not suited for air combat against modern enemies. but u cant restart production of F-22 because most parts are no longer in construction since the tech is from 90's

[@dr.j5642]

@@kristianxoto Obsolete would mean it is substandard for the era. The F22 is still arguably the most advanced fighter today, so no you're mistaken. What you mean is they will become obsolete when 6th generation and 6.5 generation fighters are the norm, but that is more than a decade away. So until then, they are anything but obsolete. Though, for the near-ish future of air superiority, they will become obsolete before long, since projections for air based warfare will focus on super long range, beyond visual range style of warfare, as well as having unorthodox capabilities such as direct energy weapons and electronic warfare. No one is saying we should produce more F22s, although there is a long list of nations that would order hundreds right now if given the chance. However, the F22 is the king today and will continue holding things down for at least another decade, especially being paired with F35s.

[@kristianxoto]

@@dr.j5642 here is entire comment i would like to use, i did shorten original down :) F-22 raptor is obsolete, even USAF knows that thats why they are planning to develop a new air superiority fighter, since F-35 is multirtole and not suited for air combat against modern enemies. but u cant restart production of F-22 because most parts are no longer in construction since the tech is from 90's. even worse the original radars were never ordered because of cost and 3D vectoring which russian aircraft did have decades earlier, was cut because of cost savings. and btw russians have tracked f-35 and f-22 fighters over syria, so it can be shot down

[@kristianxoto]

@@dr.j5642 i love the raptor but 1 big drawback is it can not fire while in extreme manouvres since weapons bay uses gravity. SU-57 was demonstrated to have "ejection" mechanism when firing in a zoom climb and upside down. can try to locate video but u can see the missile gets "blown out" from the bay since gravity is no longer of any assist. F-22 was planned with that in mind but just like original radar and thrus vectors, it was cut for cost saving

[@dr.j5642]

@@kristianxoto Yeah but you're comparing a 5th generation fighter designed in the 90s, first flight in 97, to a 5th generation designed in the 2000s, first flight in 2010, which hasn't even been fielded yet. The Su-57 is going to be 20 years behind the F22 by the time they get a fleet of them in the air, lets say 2025. And by that time, the US will soon have 6th generation fighters coming down the pipeline. Also the cost saving cuts made to the F22 occurred when the US decided it was going to make a drastically smaller number of them than originally planned, which was also executed because there was not a perceived threat from near peer adversaries like China and Russia, since their 5th generation programs were falling behind ours by a decade or more. Besides, I think the sheer number of F35s we have will be more than enough to handle however many Su-57s the Russians can field, then not much longer after that we will have hundreds of 6th generation fighters in the air.

[@Viperboeing757]

Excellent video ! Could you possibly do a video on the B-2 Spirit ? The origins of that aircraft , rooted in Jack Northrops research in the 1940s and 1950s , is simply incredible .

[@PilotPhotog]

Thank you and glad you enjoyed the video...yes I plan on a whole series on bombers, including the B-2.

[@chichiboypumpi]

the only fighter I didn't acquire in Ace Combat Infinity, because almost everyone had it, and its variants

[@michaeld1170]

Regarding the YF-22 vs YF-23, note that the latter has half the number of control surfaces of the YF-22. So this whole idea that the edge in maneuverability of the 22 was minimal is pretty unrealistic. The YF-23's pelican tail for example is used for both yaw, pitch and roll control, you can't tell me that it won't be compromised if the pilot decides to perform a roll while at high alpha and input some yaw movements as well. Also according to Paul Metz's lecture, he showed a graph where the YF-23 and YF-22's speeds were illustrated, the gap wasn't large. So if the YF-23 won, we could be talking about the YF-22 which was far more maneuverable and only slightly slower.

[@DemonicANG3L1]

What could have been, the F-22 Raptor - Air Superiority Fighter, capable of dominating the skies in small numbers and providing real time surveillance, the F-23 Black Widow - Long Range Deepstrike Fighter, capable of carrying long range cruise missiles for defeating long range SAMs, and using its range, and stealth to dive deep into enemy territory to intercept escorted long-range bombers and GTFO while the enemy is in a panic. Could have gotten the 2 airframes and created the ultimate duo!

[@michaeld1170]

@@DemonicANG3L1 In a perfect world with limitless money yes. I hope it happened too. But the YF-23 actually has a smaller weapons bay and can only hold 5 missiles to the YF-22's 8. Northrop promised to stretch the design to accommodate more missiles in a stacked configuration (see F-23 EMD) but would it retain the same speed and maneuverability as the original? We don't know. To an effect, the F-35 has much longer range and can carry cruise missiles like the AGM-154 internally

[@amcds2867]

These videos bring a smile to my face. Awesome stuff! Keep them coming!

[@maxhaines3794]

What a plane and what a video about it. Great work!

[@mikedepaz666]

LOOKS LIKE THE YF23 IS MORE FUTURISTIC AND VERY SLEEK !! THEY COULD HAVE JUST COMBINED ALL THE SUPERIOR TRAITS OF BOTH DESIGNS AND CAME UP WITH A SUPREME TACTICAL FIGHTER , AGREE GUYS ??!!

[@PilotPhotog]

Hopefully that is what they do with the upcoming 6th gen fighter....thanks for commenting!

[@andreasleonardo6793]

Too nice video with clear explaining of characters thanks

[@samferraro6756]

You make great videos and your research is excellent. I would really enjoy your video of the YF-23. Please Please!

[@PilotPhotog]

Thank you and working on it!

[@stianhult]

Best fighter and look most bad ass so cool, love from norway🇳🇴👌

[@mikekopack6441]

I used to drive past Dobbins NAS on my way to work in Marietta, GA back in the early 2000s as these were rolling off the line. There were many mornings where I would catch a site of a brand new F-22 taking off on its maiden flight followed by an F-16 chase plane. The Raptor would take off and go immediately vertical. The F-16 (which looked like a toy in comparison) couldn’t match the climb... I was so sad the day the last one came off the line and I stopped getting to see that. Luckily I got to tour the assembly line once and actually got to touch a Raptor undergoing final assembly. (I’ve also toured the F35 line and similarly touched one of those). Absolutely amazing aircraft! Have also gotten to play around in both of Lockheed’s sims for those planes and it’s like night and day compared to the F-16 one... completely different tactics, different way of approaching an engagement.

[@xprettylightsx]

Your videos are loved by thousands .. must feel awesome . Great job , hard work pays off. Cheers to your success .

[@rafaelrodrigo7935]

Congrats, Bro!!!

[@PilotPhotog]

Thank you!

[@athrunzala6919]

I love this plane, and yes do a F-23 video too please

[@PilotPhotog]

Will do and thanks for commenting!

[@SriHari722]

Hey mate.. thanks for this video... good work...keep posting videos...and please do a video on su 30 mki,Rafale and Tejas...

[@PilotPhotog]

Thanks for the comment and I do plan on all those aircraft as well.

[@Strato13]

I’ve seen the YF 23 many times. She sits with a few other aircraft in the city of Torrance. I’ve gotten up close, taken pictures of her, and have touched that beautiful plane when they had it out in the other end of Zamperini Airfield. She’s just as beautiful in real life.

[@PilotPhotog]

Thanks for sharing, I would love to see that bird up close...working on the video all about the YF-23...coming soon!

[@Strato13]

@@PilotPhotog Yeah, now she rests alongside an old Tomcat, a Starfighter type single engine jet plane, and some other jet. I'm not sure that they take care of her anymore. Her windows are whited-out and everything looks dilapidated.

[@scarface9767]

i played a game called heatseeker on ps2 that you can oporate a f22 raptor from an aircraft carrier along with f15 and f16s and the f35 nice job on the video the f22 raptor was my childhood favorite plane and still is

[@PilotPhotog]

I remember that game! Have you played any of the Ace Combat games?

[@Slender_Man_186]

PilotPhotog his name is Scarface and he has Phoenix as his profile pic, he’s definitely played Ace Combat.

[@StealthyAviator]

loved it!!!

[@PilotPhotog]

Awesome thank you!

[@tieck4408]

Solid video, great visuals and editing

[@PilotPhotog]

Much appreciated!

[@morskojvolk]

Wonderful rundown of the F-22. New sub!

[@PilotPhotog]

Thank you, much appreciated!

[@charge556]

Good channel!

[@SahanModelbuilding]

Great video as always, and very informative

[@PilotPhotog]

Thank you! Keep building great models.

[@SahanModelbuilding]

PilotPhotog Thanks, I will

[@heavyizthacrown-5842]

Yes I want a video of the Black Widow & Grey Ghost.

[@PilotPhotog]

Working on it, coming soon- thanks for commenting!

[@FreshCoolBeer]

What a beautiful jet, the prettiest of them all and the color is like a combination between the Black Widow and the Gray Ghost of the YF-23.

[@estherakeode2580]

A video of the yf23 will be loved

[@PilotPhotog]

Working on it, thanks for commenting!

[@johnmay6090]

Another really good video! Yes, I'd like to see a video about the runner-up to the F 22. Thankyou.

[@PilotPhotog]

Thank you and working on it!

[@jerlee620]

Just subscribed & saw this..SO EXCITED to watch lol .Love the F22!

[@PilotPhotog]

Thank you for subscribing, more videos on the way!

[@shapiro5000]

The Raptor is awesome!! We just really haven't gotten our money's worth out of them because there are only 20 or so adversary aircraft that might have a chance of matching them (Chinese J-20) and WWIII hasn't happened. If only they had more AG capability like the F-35 does and I think we would have seen them replace the F-15C/E fleet already! With data link, an extremely advanced radar, the air to air potential and ability to work well with our advanced Fourth Gen fighters, what this aircraft can do is awesome even in small numbers!

[@appengr3278]

Don't fool your self, the Chengdu J20 cannot super cruise, doesn't have the maneuverability, and it doesn't have stealth like the f22, the f22 shows up as big as a marble on radar. First see, first shot, first kill, and people still talking about dog fighting.

[@burnerjack01]

Didn't get our money's worth? Because there was no WWIII? Maybe there hasn't been a WWIII partly because of the F-22. If true, we MORE than got our money's worth.

[@t74guard78]

Why do some people keep insisting on mentioning the J-20 and F-22 in the same breathe? The J-20 is no where near in the same class as the F-22. The J-20 is a 4th gen fighter and the F-15, 16 & 18 can see it, track it and shoot it down. The F-22 has more important things to do so let those fighters handle the J-20. With American pilots those legacy fighters won't have any problem blowing them out of the sky. The J-20 has as much chance of matching the F-22 as you do walking to the moon.

[@estherakeode2580]

The f22 design is a modern design. while the yf23 design is the design of the future

[@billhanna2148]

Thank you for your work 👍 it's an excellent succinct and informative video. Yeah we didn't build nearly enough of them and we should sooner than later

[@PilotPhotog]

Glad you enjoyed it and I appreciate your comment, agree that we should have built more.

[@deltadaggertm4011]

YF-23 was the most beautiful plane that was not approved for production. Its even stealthier and faster than the Raptor. But during that time, they are looking for an advance fighter, Raptor is much more agile and maneuverable. 2 of the reasons why YF-23 was snubbed is because of its cost per unit which will go approx at 250mil per plane, and they have doubts if Northrop Grumman is capable for mass production.

[@PilotPhotog]

Well said and thanks for commenting!

[@CG-cw3ps]

That Cobra side-by-side was sick, PilotPhotog

[@PilotPhotog]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@CG-cw3ps]

@@PilotPhotog - I always enjoy your work, brother.

[@Viperboeing757]

Excellent F22 video . The Raptor is definitely the Lamborghini of the skies . Truly a badazz . 🇺🇲

[@fpena6038]

Definitely yes, make a YF-23 video.

[@PilotPhotog]

Thanks it is in the works!

[@ArthurCentrino]

Awesome aircraft

[@1moderntalking1]

Wowtstanding!!

[@joelocampo8460]

You have very good documentary videos with great footage and lots of information. I viewed this one and the Eurofighter so far, and I’d like to see a feature on Rafale. Thank you.

[@PilotPhotog]

Thank you much appreciated! Working on the Rafale video

[@noahstrickler1962]

PLEASE make a yf 23 video

[@PilotPhotog]

Thanks for commenting and I am working on the YF-23 video

[@douglasburt1622]

Yes, YF23 vid , please!

[@pkmodeling]

The YF-23 is a favourite of mine, yes to video!!!

[@PilotPhotog]

Thanks for commenting and being a subscriber, I am digging deep to get some good footage of the YF-23 as well as having some artists create 3D models of this amazing airplane. Stay tuned!

[@georgealfaras6695]

Awesome...Terrific... Deadly! Thank you, U.S. Air Force....

[@michaelkrentzin]

The absolute best ever!!!

[@mathewmartin4993]

Would totally dig a YF23 video!

[@bujoun76]

Yes! We want to see a dedicated video on the YF-23 please!!!

[@PilotPhotog]

Working on it and thanks for commenting

[@jonniiinferno9098]

This was an awesome video !! Absolutely YES - do the YF-23 video - please.

[@PilotPhotog]

Coming soon, and thanks for commenting!

[@jonniiinferno9098]

@@PilotPhotog much appreciated

[@ShadowOppsRC]

yes on the yf23 vid!

[@KernowekTim]

Wickedness on wings. For me, it's the Gyr Falcon of the skies. When it appears, even eagles clear out, because it definitely can kill them, with savage intent. Again, you have excelled yourself! Whatever next? Sadly the 71 has been done to death, and there is not recent HQ film coverage. Pity that........Stay safe man: keep them coming!

[@PilotPhotog]

Thanks Tim! Working on YF-23 video next and will see what I can do about the SR-71

[@KernowekTim]

@@PilotPhotog Looking forward to your cover of the YF-23. Perhaps more F22s should've been built, but with their kill to loss ratios, perhaps there is little need? Stay safe man. ATB .

[@AkebonoRadio]

Yes please on F-23. Great video!!

[@PilotPhotog]

Coming soon!

[@82raptor]

We should have twice as many raptors! Spending the same amount of money on a 40 year old design is just stupid!

[@TheRibbonRed]

I guarantee you that "same amount of money" actually has a lot more cuts for the DoD & politicians themselves than for the cost of production.

[@appa609]

F-15's serve a different role as bomb/missile trucks. I think it's dumb that they put all the air superiority eggs in the F-35 basket. If we had 500 F-22's we wouldn't need 1700 F-35's.

[@andrewbaker234]

more f-22 heck yess!

[@mohammadsaida4603]

Too nice video about F22 raptor with clearly explaining of its characters and abilities 🇺🇸👍👏🏾🦅

[@PilotPhotog]

Thank you!

[@mohammadsaida4603]

@@PilotPhotog welcome and with pleasure 👍🌈

[@glennokert8263]

Yes a very dedicated look at the yf23 please

[@FloridaManMatty]

PLEASE do a video on the YF-23. I have had the pleasure of seeing PAV-1 in person (two years ago yesterday as a matter of fact!) and still get chills up my spine every time I think about the moment my eyes first found it among the other amazing planes at Wright Patterson. ATF was a tricky competition. In the end, I do feel that the “best” plane won, but in this case, the best was definitely not the most advanced. 30 years later, if the YF-23 was unveiled today, not only would still look like something from 30 more years into the future, with a few software and sensor upgrades, it would probably outperform anything it met in the air for many, many years to come. The YF-23 was, and still is, absolutely one of the most visually stunning airplanes to ever take to the skies. I would love to see this channel’s take on the ATF and ultimate fate of the Black Widow II, including the talk in some aviation circles that one was refueled over TTR many years AFTER PAV-1 and PAV-2 were put on display by a member of one of the larger online military aviation forums. YCKAWOTG😉

[@PilotPhotog]

Thanks for commenting Matthew and I am actively working on the YF-23 video. I want to get it right so taking my time as I work on other videos. Check the community tab of this channel for updates and release dates.

[@EricPalmerBlog]

One of the most impressive things about the F-22 is the AN/ALR-94. This is a passive sensor system where 30 apertures around the airframe feed information into a combat system that can detect some air to air radars up to 250 miles away. The combat system starts building a tracking solution of spikes picked up in this manner. And this is displayed on a screen. In some cases, AIM-120 AMRAAMS can be fired solely on this passive information. When the AESA radar is needed to emit, the combat system uses the absolute least amount of power to get the job done so as to keep potential threats unaware. It is a system that is rarely mentioned when the topic of the F-22 is brought up. Various upgrade packages have made it capable of working on ground spikes. And thus, able to take out some ground air defense threat with the Small Diameter Bomb (and sometimes JDAM).

[@blairanderson9098]

YES! I’d love to see a video on the YF-23! I still wish they’d have gone through with funding for both aircraft.

[@Rampant16]

Nice vid man, your video quality is absolutely there. You just gotta keep producing videos and eventually you'll gain more subs. I found you very recently by random recommendations but if you keep turning out these great vids you'll keep gaining views and subs. Definitely consider reaching out to guys like Matsimus, he also does vids on military equipment and seems like a super nice guy. Collaborations/shoutouts from him could give you a big viewer increase.

[@PilotPhotog]

Thank you for the kind words, I actually follow Matsimus and would love to collab with him sometime, I will reach out and see if he is interested.

[@ronaldwilson1373]

We need about a hundred and fifty more at F22,s but with the pandemic going on and the country in crisis, now is not the time😰

[@PilotPhotog]

Agreed and I wish they would have pulled the trigger on the 2016 study...194 F-22s

[@flynntaggart8549]

i think "advanced" is not best term, the f-35 is arguably more advanced compared to the f-22, but the f-22 was actually designed to be an air superiority fighter first, whereas the f-35 is a multi-role fighter, so despite the decent gap in tech the f-22 would of course be able to fulfill it's designed role better than an airplane that wasn't expressly designed to be an air superiority fighter. even in an air superiority role, the f-35 has some major advantages over the older f-22, mainly the avionics and networking.

[@PilotPhotog]

Fair point and my implication was in the realm of air superiority fighter, thanks for commenting!

[@bryanst.martin7134]

Avionics packages become smaller every day. Upgrades to substantially smaller, more powerful systems is more easy to integrate than ever. The YF23 was a superior platform. Money made this decision, and not functionality

[@didiandiano]

Wish F-23 was the winner, it was stealthier and it looked out of this world! Best looking design ever

[@PilotPhotog]

Working on a top 5 fighters that should have been produced...you should check it out when it is released :)

[@thesirmaddog8209]

Sixth gen should be coming soon, and the Navy will get a variation as well

[@cattledog901]

We need a YF23 video.

[@PilotPhotog]

Thank you, working on it!

[@pottierkurt1702]

What 9k???? Damn bruv you blowing up like .. no I can't say that. But congrats!!!

[@PilotPhotog]

Thank you and thanks for your continued support!

[@dainisstranga4440]

Good very good Flay is F22 👍👍👍

[@jacobdautriche9023]

Great video. I think there are at least three challengers to the air superiority of the F-22: S 500 SU 57 The F22 itself: sun-issue apparently melting the plane and the g force in the cockpit knocking out the pilots.

[@PilotPhotog]

The S-500 and SU-57 are definitely competitors or challenges to the F-22, I do know that early on the F-22 had some oxygen issues which could potentially knock out a pilot but haven't heard about a sun issue? Thanks for commenting.

[@jacobdautriche9023]

@@PilotPhotog thx. I found this picture www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/29218/these-images-of-an-f-22-raptors-crumbling-radar-absorbent-skin-are-fascinating And this article sputniknews.com/military/201908011076431443-f-22s-problems-with-stealth-coating-revealed/ But couldnt find the source I was looking for. Its like 3 or 5 years since I fell over it...

[@jacobdautriche9023]

@@PilotPhotog this article might be of interest too: www.dailypress.com/military/dp-xpm-20120527-2012-05-27-dp-nws-raptor-pilot-survey-20120527-story.html

[@rdubb77]

YF-23 was too far ahead of its time. I hope Japan builds it, which is the rumor.

[@andreasleonardo6793]

Amazing video with clear explaining of characters and abilities of F-22 raptor...which until now USA refuse exporting to allies countries of USA...its great one ...nice video send

[@Triple87]

Well done. As expected. 🤔😂

[@PilotPhotog]

Thank you very much. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@olivialambert4124]

The YF-22 really had to win. I love the YF-23 a lot more, but it simply doesn't fit the needs as well. Firstly people overestimate stealth - the aircraft are detectable by lower frequency radars by a far greater amount. This isn't a problem as one requires high frequency radars to provide an accurate picture for weapons delivery, but it does shape the requirements. Like the USAF openly admit, the F-22 isn't invisible, it simply can't be fired upon. If the aircraft isn't invisible it is inevitable that it will be forced into dogfights where it can be fired upon visually. Therefore dogfight performance is still incredibly important, and whilst the YF-23 performed exceptionally well against the last generation of threats it wasn't going to compete with the next generation of threats. Indeed the Euro Deltas are already competing very well against the F-22 even at low speeds (despite a lack of thrust vectoring) and the Su-57 is projected to perform even better in that area. So to sacrifice the par dogfighting performance (vs 5th gen aircraft) for improved stealth which doesn't work against AWACS and search radars in an environment where every enemy has a datalink to said AWACS and search radars isn't a particularly great tradeoff for an air superiority fighter. The YF-23 would be superior as a strike aircraft for sure and is arguably more technologically advanced, but that wasn't the role required. As an aside the cutbacks in both technology (no IRST, no 210 degree radar) and procurement (under 200, machinery destroyed) is utterly absurd and frankly criminal. One has to wonder if it was merely extreme negligence or intentional sabotage. I can't quite envision the latter, but its frankly hard to comprehend the level of negligence considering Russia, China, were already producing aircraft which require the F-22 in great numbers.

[@bradgreenwell6097]

More F22 plz

[@davidbrooks5742]

I would like to see a story on the yf23

[@PilotPhotog]

Thanks for commenting and I am working on it!

[@garylambert6650]

You should most definitely do a special on the Black widow and Grey Ghost!!

[@PilotPhotog]

Thanks Gary! It is in the works and taking my time with the research and the visuals - I really want to do the YF-23 justice

[@RichardShelton]

I love Raptors, but the USAF blew it when they didn't pick the F-23, in my humble opinion of course.

[@abcefg1347]

You should make a video on South-African produced aircraft. Lots of cool things to talk about!

[@PilotPhotog]

Thank you and I will look into that

[@amcds2867]

It's incredible to think that this bird will still be around in 2070 taking into consideration the accelarated rate at which technology is evolving.

[@SilvanaDil]

Do you see any planes on our radar? No, just a bumblebee. :-)

[@PilotPhotog]

A bumblebee going Mach 2 :) Thanks for commenting!

[@SilvanaDil]

@@PilotPhotog - Gotta say, though: Nothing makes people "ooh" and "ahh" like a B-2.

[@mikehoffman5923]

Hell yes f23!!

[@PilotPhotog]

In the works and thanks for commenting!

[@teddy.d174]

YF-23.....YES, YES, YES!!! It’s so frustrating to hear about the DOD’s lack of vision into the future, back in the early 2000’s. Yet...even after making decisions such as cutting Raptor purchases down to less than 200, they continue to make mistakes like this one.

[@Strato13]

Whoah ! Satan’s Angels! Oh dang! I love the F22, and wish we had a thousand of them.

[@PilotPhotog]

Fun fact, Robin Olds flew for that unit. I am working on a video all about him, and yes I'd love to have 1k F-22s!

[@douglasseab7912]

I think they should have build The YF23 so a good compliment the F22 and we would have a diversity of planes

[@PilotPhotog]

Agreed but I think at the time funds were limited. Thanks for commenting!

[@CG-cw3ps]

"Sea Raptors" That's a wet dream right there.

[@richvasquez8534]

#1 compatition is none

[@susanartigas7498]

Thanks for an excellent video, like always . Very good research.

[@PilotPhotog]

Thank you much appreciated!

[@Blacksheep1968]

definitely vid on the YF23 pls

[@PilotPhotog]

In the works, and thanks for commenting!

[@ltelievre]

Excellent video. I would like to know more about the yf-23. I think they should have built more f-22...

[@danielosheasy7818]

Would love to see a video on the YF 23

[@PilotPhotog]

Working on it and thanks for commenting

[@cnlbenmc]

Wish they also made the FB-22 Strike Raptor variant and I vote for the next version to be called the F-22C King Raptor!